Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-06-09


ment. The second step was to put an
end to the doctrine of secession by the
fourteenth amendment, as broad and
liberal a proposition in favor of human
liberty and human rights as ever was
framed by man. A series of measures
were then, from time TO time adopted
by Congress, among which were the
gradual repeal of internal taxes, the
reduction of the public debt; a system
of liberal pensions to Union soldiers, a
revision of the tariff laws carefully
framed to continue the protection and
encouragement of American industry.
The Pacific Railroad was built The
English Government was compelled TO
make restitution for the work of her
cruisers. The interest of the debt was
enormously reduced by the process of
refunding, and, finally, by the resump-
ton of specie payments, our currency
was placed on the coin basis. This
series OF measures, solely the work of
the Republican party, rapidly made
good the waste of war, and put the
country upon the road of unexampled
progress and prosperity.
In what spirit was this met by the
Democracy? What language can ex-
press the cruel and barbarous atrOcity
of the controlling elements of the South
in their treatment of Republicans, both
white and black, and especially of the
freedmen who had been invested bv
constitutional amendments with liberty
and political rights. Taking advan-
tage of the detection of Andrew johnson
and his reconstruction policy they
commenced with laws that denied the
freedmen liberty of speech and of the
press, and even the personal freedom
and protection allowed by the laws of
the most depostic powers of Europe to
the meanest serf, follwed by wholesale
assassination OF unarmed and undis-
ciplined negroes, inflicted by secret,
organized and disguised bands, using
all the agencies of terror and super
stition that could affect the mind of an
ignorant and credulous people with
such success that in ten years after the
war the freedmen of the South could
not, as rule, vote wherever their vote
would change the result: they could
hold no office, and might be cheated
| and robbed and murdered with impun-
| ity. This intimidation was in many
| places, especially in the far south, ex-
tended to white Republicans of charac-
ter and intelligence, among them some
Confederate soldiers, who resisted as
| far rs they could these atrocities, and
were branded with opprobrious epithets
tabooed and ostracised, and in some
cases murdered. Does any man deny
this? All this and more, in hdeous
detail, was proven before committees of
Congress, was reported by officers OF
the army and evidenced by every form
Of proof known to courts, and in many
cases was admitted by the press and
people of the South. and defended.
In this way and by these means. the
Democratic party in the South now
holds in solid and unbroken array every
Southern State with increased political
power conferred by the freedom of the
slaves. This is the basis of their power
! Without the terror and ostracism
have described. several of these States
governed by their interests and con-
victions, enlightened by free discussion,
emancipated in fact as well as in, name
would be as thoroughly Republican as
Illinois. 1t is said that this is raising
the bloodyshirt;renewing the animosities
of the war. deny it. The
charge is an unjust reproach
of Confederate soldiers. What
/ speak of is not the work of soldiers,
but of towards and criminals, not in
war but in peace. pity the man who
can not distinguish between the duty
of soldiers and self imposed crueltes
and barbarous methods born of slavery.
What has been the course of the
Democratic party of the North while
these events have been going on? At
first there was doubt and denial, but
now no honest man can doubt unless
willfully ignorant. No Democrat with
spark of manhood who hates these
methods can shield himself behind
doubt or disbelief.
And, fellow-citizens, this is not a
thing of the past. 1t is continuing
fact. 1t is fact to-day. There is not
an intelligent man in this broad land
of either party who does not know that
Mr.. Cleveland is now President of the
United States by virtue of crimes against
the elective franchise, including muir
der, arson, ballot box Stuff;no, forgery
and perjury, but for which james G.
Blame would now be in his place.
There has not been moment since the
adoption of the fifteenth amendment
when, if there could have been fair
election for President, - majority of
the constitutional voters of at least five
of the Southern States would not have
voted for the Republican nominee
The success of these methods, the
speaker said. had had bad effect all
over the country, and had affected
elections in parts Of the North, especial
IY IN large cities. Though in power
when the worst of these political crimes
were committed, the Republican party
had its hands tied and was unable to
prevent them BY the organization of
the ku-kluX-klan and other oath. bound
associations, the colored men were de-
prived of the right to vote wherever
their vote would change the result.
In 1875 the.house of Representatives
had become Democratic. And in the
o1hIio tdi WIFI - kDOWD as the MlSSlS-
sippi plan was adopted, and the Repub-
ican vote Of that state was absolutely
suppressed And again in the Presi-
dental election of 1876 the offenses
were so revolving as to justify the re-
turning Boards in several States, under
the laws of those States. in excluding
the votes of a number of counties, par
ishes and districts
Since 1875 the Republican party did
not possess the power to pass any law
for the protection Of life or property in
the South, and the Democratic party
would not. 1t can be truly said that
every atrocity, every political crime,
violence or wrong in the South was
committed by the Democrats, and the
Democratic party uniformly refused to
examine, prevent or punish in any case
any of these crimes.
therefore claim for the Republican
party that while it has not been able to
20 ,,lr,.,I Is al